it is the final countdown with three days to go. 16 events on the campaign trail in eight states -- ohio, wisconsin, iowa, virginia, new hampshire, colorado, pennsylvania, and florida. good luck to you. it is saturday, november 3rd, and this is "now." >> well, three more days, exactly right. >> we've come too far to let our voices go faint.

>> i see your coal signs. livelihoods are at stake. >> this is the end of daylight savings times. it's mitt romney's favorite time of the year because he gets the to turn the clock back. >> mitt romney wants silence. silence is -- i'm for the guy who is not silent. >> everyone here knows good and well that cutting "sesame street" is no way to balance our budget. >> he is asking you supporters to vote. i'm asking you to vote for love of country. >> you don't know what kind of emergencies may happen. you don't know what problems he or she may deal with. but you do want to be able to trust your president. >> how does he feel? >> i'm not going to. that's it. >> it's pumpkin whoopie time. ♪ it's the final countdown

>> we are broadcasting live from democracy plaza here in new york city. msnbc's election command center for the main event, which is now just thee days away. joining me today to prognosticate on these next 72 hours, radio host of studio -- radio host of studio 360 and author of "true believers" kurt anderson. heather mcgee, rolling stone executive editor eric bates, and msnbc contributor jonathan capehart of the "washington post." it is a triumphant moment for everyone, even though no one has actually within won yet be. you can feel the excitement in the air, kurt. we play a little bit of sound from the candidates in the last 24 hours. everybody is making their final pitches. however, given the week that we have just had, it seems like mitt romney has more of an uphill climb that perhaps he even thought he would at this point in the race. i will call to your attention a tweet from rupert murdoch who tweets now christie, while

thanking o., must redeclare for romney or take blame for next four dire years. >> which to me is the kind of hysteria on that side that oh my god, i mean i get the interim republican problem with chris christie appearing like a rational person with the president. but really, to suggest that that -- that his recommitment to romney will have any serious affect to make up the space that they're apparently behind says to me they're deeply concerned. >> we've talked about how this whole thing is balancing on a knife's edge, right, eric? that the polls are close and so forth. but it's also republicans have worked for mitt romney. if a big gust of wind comes, it's like the whole party gets knocked down. i will also point out karl rove saying if you hadn't had the storm, there would have been more of a chance for the romney campaign to talk about the deficit, the debt, when there is

a stuter in the campaign, when you have attention drawn away to somewhere else, it is not to romney's advantage. which is fairly obvious, but he doesn't need to be saying that right now. >> it really started a month ago when the republicans started looking for someone to blame. it really started a little while ago. they got a little wind under their sails and that died down a little bit. but really four or six weeks ago you started seeing this happen there is no question what is going to happen if romney loses is the far right is going to blame tonight middle. they're going to say see, this is what happens when you don't run a true conservative. and that's going to be their narrative. and limbaugh and company previewed that a month ago. we already know what that narrative is going to be like. but if t fact that they're looking for someone to blame already is not a good sign. >> the weather, chris christie, it doesn't matter. >> the storm, but also i was going to say jumping on eric's point, chris christie will probably be in the bull's-eye. rush limbaugh i think yesterday or two days ago already

unleashed a whole torrent of abuse on chris christie because as kurt said, he was rational as a republican governor of a state that had been decimated by a horrible, horrible storm, and working with the president to ensure that the people of his state got the help that they needed. and yet that's not good enough for rush limbaugh. and -- >> i think it was an anathema to rush limbaugh. >> he is a fat fool, the ultimate pot calling the kettle black. >> well, i think it really goes to a larger point of how bizarre this all is, where the thing that interrupted the campaign, the thing that sort of made, you know, everything sort of fall off the rails was reality, right. the thing that -- actually governing. having our government and our leaders do what they're supposed to do that. is what is making everything so insane. well got off message. we can't talk about the deficit and the debt and all these

imaginary numbers. >> in a vacuum about our ideology. >> exactly. >> it sort of runs straight on to actual reality. i do want the talk a little bit about chris christie because politico has a new story out today talking about the romney choice of christie and how it all went down. politico rates romney was so close to picking christie that some top advisers believe that the governed had been offered the job. then he settled on ryan the day after returning. now look. i'm sure everybody in this campaign is going to have a story about how it all shook down. but the fact is, if they somehow alienated chris christie, perhaps that is some explanation independent of the fact that i think chris christie really believes in the job he has to do and showing leadership in a time of crisis. you got to think there were a lot of bear hugs given to the president while he was in new jersey touring the damage. and i don't begrudge him for doing that. but it had to make the romney team uncomfortable, especially at this point in time. >> no, absolutely.

i think the problem is that we're seeing everyone start to sort of reorient towards the postmortem on this campaign. and i think that's a real problem. we've got, you know, chris christie actually just being the lead they're the people of new jersey elected him to be, and that's this sort of time bomb for the campaign. it's very strange. >> here is why the romney campaign in boston probably is uncomfortable with what chris christie was doing. he was their number one attack dog. remember, he was the keynote speaker at the convention. he was the one that was able to not only throw the red meat and then stand in front of the crowd an just tear it apart and everyone would cheer and scream. and hurricane sandy comes threw, and he is gone. he is not filling that role anymore hi, see also the guy who in that keynote speech could barely bring himself to say mitt romney's name. it wasn't like he was the most ardent romney lover. >> and even when he was -- he was one of the first guys out of the gate to endorse romney, which i think is surprising.

constitutionally they seem like such different people. i have been saying for a while on the show, and i believe this is true. you know, part of my problem with mitt romney's candidacy is i feel he has an incredibly crass view of the american public, and really doesn't hold them in particularly high regard in so far he has changed his position on all of these issues numerous times. he has felt no need to give us any specifics on any of his policy prescriptions. and his assumption is they won't notice. the "washington post" in their editorial board of which you are a member writes through all the flip-flops, there has been one consistency in the campaign of republican presidential nominee mitt romney, a contempt for the electorate. mr. romney seems to be betting that voters have no memories, poor arithmetic skills, and a general inability to look behind the curtain. we hope the results tuesday prove him wrong. eric, jonathan, jonathan, why don't we go to you first. >> the problem we have had as an editorial board with mitt romney, it's encapsulated in that editorial.

read it online and it will be in the paper tomorrow. >> www washingtonpost.com. >> where the problem with mitt romney is he says something on monday. it's something different by monday afternoon which is completely different or gone back to where he was on monday by tuesday. he won't tell us anything about his tax plans. we know he is going to reduce the rates by 20%. but at the debate he said let's just say $25,000. he pulls figures out of thin air. and he thinks he can be elected president of the united states. on vapor, really. >> yes, yes. >> and so it got under the skin of us on the board. we endorsed the president last week for reelection. it wasn't a sis boom-bah rah-rah ra. we have a general idea y where e wants to take the country. mitt romney not so much. >> saying you know me.

you know what i'm about. you may not agree with everything i have done in the past four years, but you know me. and post sandy speaking with a renewed enthusiasm. david axelrod quoted yesterday in lima, ohio. this might be one of my favorite quotes of the campaign. says i've known him for 20 years. we've worked closely for ten years. i've never seen him more exhilarated than he is right now. you can see in this speech that he is delivering that this is coming from his loins. >> and loins isn't a word that gets into the public conversation. >> not enough. >> it's interesting. i've been interested to see the republicans, the sensible reasonable moderate republicans like david fromm yesterday who explained on the daily beast who explained why he is voting for romney the republican party is irrational, destructive, i don't want obama care repealed. he goes on and on this whole list of things. and that's why i'm voting for obama. to me, if indeed governor romney

loses, the -- how this fissure between the mainstream and the tail that is wagging its dog, the tea party, how that's going to play out. as you say, eric, there will be conservatives saying oh, we should have nominated santorum. but it's obviously a more complicated problem for them than that. and it's going to be, again, if indeed the president is re-elected, the republican arguments afterward are going to be fascinating. >> you know what they need? they need an impassioned centrist in the republican party that can speak from his or her loins. i just wanted to say the word loins again for everybody watching this broadcast. after the break, despite its well documented issues courting the women's vote, team romney lately has been pushing a narrative that has closed the gender gap. we'll have cecil richards to unpack the myth when we return live to democracy plaza, next on "now."

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with all the issues facing the country, governor romney has focused on for the last three months, he is going to get rid of planned parenthood. by the way, he doesn't even know he doesn't control planned parenthood. he should talk to big bird. he is gone. >> that was vice president joe biden earlier today taking aim at governor romney's vow to eliminate funding for planned parenthood. this year single ladies could play the deciding role, with 55

million of them eligible to vote. according to a recent pugh poll, president obama is whomping, i believe that's a technical term, mitt romney by 25 points among that group. in many respects, the election has become a choice between the past versus the future, a choice between a bygone era and a brave new world. joy reed explores this dynamic, writing it takes for granted that billy might have two moms or two dads, or that the ceo might be a she. it could care less if guys serve in the military. it can't imagine abortion or conservatives being illegal. i thinks madmen is a good tv show, but so is the walking dead. cecil richards is the president of planned parenthood. and today she is joining us behalf of the obama campaign. part of my favorite thing is how much i get to see you. thanks for joining the program, as always. >> thanks for having me back. >> cecil, the numbers on women

voting in this election, and the number of women who are single, i quoted that, 25% is a shocking margin. i wonder what you make of that. and then let's talk about this gender gap clothing, the myth making in the romney campaign, which "the huffington post" says really was at the end of the day just a little bit of residual bump from the first debate performance. >> yeah. the gender gap isn't closing. if anything, i'm out here in ohio today. and what we're seeing, i think this election is coming down to who do you trust. and women know they simply can't trust mitt romney. i mean he is obviously willing to say anything to get elected. and every woman has met a guy who will tell you one thing and do another. and that really is i think why we're seeing this -- particularly with young women, they're saying president obama has been there for them. he has been on health care issues, on equal pay issues, and he is a guy you can trust with your future. >> cecil, i wonder what you make of him. we talk a lot about mitt

romney's late stage pitch to the middle. a political scientist at ohio state says as far as mitt romney and his strategy to be a more sort of lovable candidate, at this point in the campaign, we're switching from who we're going to line up with -- who we're going to line up with you to get at your supporters to turn out. romney didn't start running that compassionate strategy until it was probably too late. too many people have probably already made up their minds. could he ever have embarked on a compassionate strategy? is there run in the republican party for someone who doesn't want to defund planned parenthood or does believe in a woman's right to choose? >> that's just not who mitt romney is. he has pledged repeatedly he would be delighted to sign a bill overturning roe. he wants to get rid of planned parenthood. just hope to goodness that women don't know his position. this is where we're seeing the enthusiasm is on the president's side. frankly, i'm in columbus, ohio. and i've been to phone banks.

i've been to canvas operations. and there are women everywhere coming out of the woodwork who are volunteering for president, and who are turning out to vote. >> heather, i want to bring you in here. you know, part of the problem that romney has had, he has not tried the say too, too much on anything related to women. but then he appears in ads with people like richard mourdock, and the republican party is filled with these whackos that say the things they do and can't help themselves. bill clinton had plenty to say about richard mourdock yesterday. let's take a listen to what he had to say. >> the nominee who defeated him said he wanted to go to washington to bring more partisanship, that his idea of a happy day was enforcing his opinion on someone else. i don't want and governor romney endorsed the guy. we cannot afford to put the white house and the congress in the hands of people who say it is my way or the highway. >> now he -- clinton is of

course focusing on mourdock's partisanship. but calling attention to the relationship that the two men have. and romney has not disavowed richard mourdock or walked back his endorsement in any way. >> i think it's very clear. people say oh, he was misconstrued, mourdock was. but he is reflecting what was an incredibly extreme policy position that is in the republican party platform, which is saying that there should be no abortion even in the cases of rape or incest. and that's something honestly as a young woman, i never thought we would be having that conversation actually at this point in time. so of course. i think mitt romney has to walk this line of sort of recalling his former massachusetts moderate ways, playing the way he did during the primary, which was incredibly right-wing on these issues, and then saying that, you know, i'd be happy to sign a bill outlawing roe v. wade, but then he also said around the first debate when we saw the new etch a sketch

romney, he said he didn't know of any bill that he would want to pass to limit abortion. it was really quite shocking. and with no information there, you have to go with where the heart of the party is. >> right. >> because that's actually where laws are generated is in congress. and that's a very scary place for women. >> cecil, you've been at the helm of this stuff for a while. why in your opinion is the heart of the republican party where it is right now as far as women's reproductive issues? how did they get to this point? we know in the late '70s and early '80s they began to court social conservatives. it feels like we are literally having arguments that were settled on 50 years ago. >> oh, absolutely. that's what women are saying to me out here in ohio. they can't believe we're fighting about whether women should get access to birth control. but that's actually what is happening. mitt romney has taken a position he wants to allow employers to refuse to allow birth control in insurance plans. alex i don't think that is the heart of the republican party. i think that mitt romney and the folks that are running, some of the folks that he is supporting,

todd akin, richard mourdock, these interest most extreme part of the republican party. because the bedrock of the republican party was historically small government and keep government out of your personal lives. that's why i think they are on completely the wrong tangent, and that's why republican women, many are going to cross over this november. >> i do think you're right there. i think this is an issue that women cross the aisle on. thank you as always to planned parenthood, cecile richards. >> good to see you, alex. thanks. republicans say the darnedest things, especially when they're three days from the election. things like i'm moving to canada, or president obama should resign. we'll look at the silliest of the season. we'll look at that curfew up, live from democracy plaza. [ male announcer ] do you have the legal protection you need? at legalzoom, we've created a better place to turn for your legal matters. maybe you want to incorporate a business you'd like to start.

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administration, but he is the democrats' greatest hope for ending a nearly two decade republican hold on the state of arizona. maybe that's why senate candidate richard carmona has been spotted with one of the party's standard bearers. >> i was honored when this man, a life-long independent, decided he would run on our party's ticket for the united states senate, not because i thought he would be a party lineman down the line, but because i thought he believed in the fundamental things that matter today. and here they are. shared prosperity is better than trickle-down economics. >> we will talk to dr. carmona about his tightly contested race, and how immigration figures prominently, when we return here live to democracy plaza, next on "now." i love to eat. i love hanging out with my friends. i have a great fit with my dentures.

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the stakes are high, arizona. i urge you to send jeff flake to the senate and he'll help get america back on track. >> that was a new ad for arizona senate candidate jeff flake, featuring mitt romney. the gop initially thought it had buttoned up the race to replace republican senator jon kyl, but in the days leading up to the election, democrat richard carmona, a moderate democrat with puerto rican roots has turned this into one of the most hotly contested races in the unto can. one reason? he is highlighting the difficult and troubled relationship with arizona's changing demographics. according to the national association of latino elected and pointed officials, latino turnout in arizona is expected to jump by 23% this year. a boost that could help carmona become the first democrat to represent arizona in the senate in nearly two decades. joining us now from phoenix is the man himself, dr. richard

carmona. dr. carmona, thanks for joining us in this home stretch. i know you have a lot of work. i wanted to talk to you first about the contours of this race, which a lot of republicans thought was basically buttoned up, that jeff flake would be the inheriter of jon kyl's seat. i want to know to your mind, how much has the latino vote in particular and the policies put in place by governor brewer and sheriff joe arpaio and maricopa county, how much of that has made this a much closer than expected race? >> hi, alex. it's a pleasure to be with you. i think it's very close because of some of the extremist politics that you are alluding to. whether it's the sheriff, the senator, russell pearce, all with those extreme views that are very, very painful, hurtful, and vitriolic, and i think it's inspiring the hispanic community as well as moderate democrats and republicans across the board that they're rejecting that, because that type of discussion doesn't really represent us in arizona. >> well, the other thing it seems to be doing is really

creating a lot of enthusiasm among the latino population in terms of turning out the votes, i think. community groups say they have register in order than 34,000 latino voters. >> right. >> due to the arpaio reelect race and your race. >> well, it has. i mean i think a lot of the people who were sitting on the sidelines are irate now. they're tired of this. they're tired of being marginalized. they see me as a reasonable candidate. they've known me for decades as a police officer, as a doctor, as a professor, and as surgeon general of the united states. they trust me, and i am latino as well. and they're very proud that they may have the opportunity to elect the first latino u.s. senator in arizona. >> i want to open this up to our panel a little bit. eric, we were looking at this electoral college map which has reds and blues and so forth. we talk about the direction of each party. and in reality, the gop, regardless of where it ends up on november 6th i think understands behind closed doors that they have a problem. in terms of the long-term prospects for the party, unless they figure out a way to build a bigger tent that. >> don't have a future past

2016. >> it's really remarkable when you look at their strategy that they're trying to eek out one more election on the old game plan, basically. and the game plan's got to change. and they've got to know that long-term. they're playing the short-term game here. what is interesting, and what i would be interesting in hearing dr. carmona comment on, he is from the state that really gave us the godfather of that game plan, barry goldwater. a lot of what is going on now is a legacy of his failed '64 campaign that reagan took forward and made real. so what has changed in arizona obviously besides the shifting demographics? is there anything else there? is it the aging population? what is it that has arizona so close to tipping the other direction, finally after so many years? >> dr. carmona? >> yes, i mean i think you're hitting the nail right on the head. the demographics are changing. i think the people are rejecting the extremism. the latinos are starting to speak up and not allowing themselves to be marginalized. they want a seat at the table. they want to help and determine their own destiny.

so you're seeing the people rise up. and i think it's a very unique time in arizona. we see it throughout the southwest. people are rejecting this extremist approach to politics, and they want moderation. i represent that i'm resonating with them. we have a great group of republicans, moderate republicans, women republicans especially who don't want their reproductive rights legislated by a group of men who don't understand the issues. so all of that is playing very positive for me. >> heather, we talk about how the top of the ticket influences down ballot. but in arizona in particular, because you have sheriff joe on the ticket, it's almost a reminder. and could actually in a weird way be the -- show the inverse of that, which is someone at the bottom of the ticket influencing how you vote at the top of the ticket. oh, sheriff joe, he represents these sort of draconian policies around immigration. i'm not going to vote for his party at the top of the politics. >> yeah, politics can be really local. i think you're seeing that with christie as well. when it comes down to it, the things that really come close to home are what ends up being symbols for this larger conversation that we're having

at the national level. and i was thinking actually about arizona being a state, dr. carmona, where you have actually, it's one of the few states where you have clean elections in the state. so the statewide candidates are actually funded by sort of citizen-owned campaign finance, which is a really fantastic reform that we really could be seeing at the federal level. and i just wonder, i feel like campaign finance reform is one of those sleeper issues that might sort of explode in the next few years in the new congress. i wonder if you have anything to say about sort of bringing that kind of clean election system to washington with you. >> well, i think that it's an important point that you're making. i think the biggest problem we see today, though, the election financing is really the citizens united issue. people are very concerned that there is an influx of a huge amount of money by people who have no reason other than they want to control seats here, congress and senate. and look, in my race just to speak of that one, where just last week they poured in about $6 million in negative ads from

external sources, all to attempt to discredit me. this race should be about arizonans for arizonans, and not influenced by people outside who simply want to control a seat to get control of the senate or in some cases congress. >> thank you to dr. richard carmona. we know you have a tight race ahead, and we'll be following it closely. thanks for your time, sir. >> thank you very much. pleasure to be with you. after the break, what could $6 billion by you? a presidential election? maybe. we will look at the 2012 riches, next. ♪ new trident layers juicy berry + tangy tangerine is a thrilling, dual-flavored ride to mouth fun-town. but it's not like everyone is going to break into a karaoke jam session. ♪ this will literally probably never happen.

[ male announcer ] you've reached the age where you don't back down from a challenge. this is the age of knowing how to make things happen. so, why let erectile dysfunction get in your way? talk to your doctor about viagra. 20 million men already have. ask your doctor if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take viagra if you take nitrates for chest pain; it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. side effects include headache, flushing, upset stomach, and abnormal vision. to avoid long-term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. stop taking viagra and call your doctor right away if you experience a sudden decrease or loss in vision or hearing. this is the age of taking action. viagra. talk to your doctor. six billion. that is how much money will be spent on all the races in the 2012 campaigns, according to a new report from the center for responsive politics, with about

half of that dedicated to the top of the ticket battle royale between president obama and mitt romney. the romney campaign and its main allies have raised $1.13 billion this cycle, compared with $1.08 billion for the obama campaign and its top supporters. this morning the obama campaign revealed its strategy in the final days, telling politico, quote, we placed our final advertising buy of the election, the overwhelming focus of which was to double down on florida and virginia. but in the buckeye state, the two campaigns are spending a combined $30 million on television ads this week. according to the wesleyan media project, over one million presidential campaign ads have run in the last five months. that's a lot of presidential campaign ads. which means if you live in denver, las vegas, or orlando, you have either thrown your television set out the window, or are in the process of doing so right at this very minute. please wait in the show is over. the three cities have born the brunt of the onslaught. other hot spots like cleveland,

cincinnati, tampa. which reached a new high or a low depending on how you look at it this cycle. of the more than $800 million spent by these groups through mid-october, roughly $1 in $4 was dark money, meaning the groups spending it don't have to disclose their donors. the surge in spending of the supreme court's citizens united decision has been extraordinary. in this week's issue of "time" magazine, michael sherer writes explicit political ad spending by outside groups in 2012 is on track to double the combined total spent by outside groups in each of the four elections since 2012. jonathan capehart, that is a lot of money. thrown away? used for good? totally unclear. >> that's a lot of cheddar. >> it is a lot of cheddar. another official term. >> yes, exactly. people are marveling at the fact that president obama's campaign put out there a long time ago that we're going to raise a

billion dollars. people thought wow, we've never seen that before. now we're looking at citizens united that a billion dollars now might be the floor from now on. >> right. >> and those poor people in ohio. you know, i was down in florida, and just commercial after commercial after commercial, you know, romney, then obama, then obama, then romney, nonstop hitting people in the face. i begin to wonder whether -- you know, it's great you can raise all this money and spend all this money. but at some point, the people will rebel against the person who is spending all this money. putting their candidates in their faces and say you know what? enough is enough. i can't go this -- i can't go there with you. >> there is also the question of how effective it is too. if you've seen an ad 25 times in a week, how much -- you sort of get numb to it at a earn is point. i think that might be true for the presidential races, at least. >> i think actually where the rubber hits the road is actually not in the spending, but it's in the giving. because what has happened is okay, this is all going to be sort of a wash in all of these

negative ads, people turn off their tvs. and after november 6th, when the new congress is elected, when the president is elected, they're going to be favors. >> right. >> that are called in. that's the issue. it's not about the spending, it's about the giving. so now you've got basically about a thousand millionaires and billionaires who have just financed a lot of these campaigns and whose phone call the president and congress people are going to have to take. and that's a really scary thing for our democracy. >> i think that this is really interesting. in terms of how they're raising money and how they're spending it, the "washington post" reports that nine of every ten pro obama ads has been sponsored by the president's reelection campaign. romney, by contrast, has not had control over most of the tying run in his favor. over half were aired by crossroads and other well funded conservative groups. i wonder how much that's played into this narrative that has been developing around romney not having a central core message to his campaign, or not being as focused perhaps as the

president. i don't know. >> i think there are a lot more coordinated than we like to say. i think they really are controlled. they're kind of conference calls all the time where it's very clear what the sort of republican pro-romney, the same on the democratic side message is going to be. what is different about outside spending versus their own presidential campaign is the outside money can be secret. and that's a serious problem. >> right. >> we don't know who those donors are. >> in fact, some of these groups constituted themselves just a couple of months ago, waited until right after the deadline for disclosing their donor. >> exactly. >> and then ran a barrage of ads. >> right. >> it's clearly a very intentional way of funneling the money past the deadline so we wouldn't know until december when the dust cleared who had actually done it. >> yep. >> is it worth it? if we're talking about $5 billion in potential tax cuts over the next ten years, $500 million a year, spending a billion dollars this year to get that? that seems like a reasonable

investment. >> right. i think the terrifying concept is one day we may look back on 2012 and oh, they only spent a billion dollars on that? i do want to talk about the substance of these ads. because the notion that these are not partisan or specifically made in service of one candidate's campaign to me is like totally ludicrous, which is really very mellifluous way of putting it. let's look at the crossroads gps ad, not in coordination with the romney campaign at all. let's take a look at it. >> you cannot help but know that he is caring. he cares about people and about their needs. i think he is going to be able to get us back on track. i really do. >> crossroads gps is responsible for the content of this advertising. >> what? please vote mitt romney for president. the question is, eric, you know, the president has sort of made allusions to get reversal on citizenses united that is, the idea that that is not somehow absolutely a romney campaign ad

is preposterous. but the question is are we going to be able to change this? is there any hope? >> well, in some ways i wonder if the reelection of the president will hurt efforts to change it. and people will say see, it didn't prove to be such a big deal. if you look at it, i think it's interesting because the republicans were basically running to a large extent on three ideas. one is that the economy would be so bad that they wouldn't have to have a plan of their own. that didn't prove to be the case. the numbers have been ticking up at exactly the wrong moment for them. the second was a whole philosophy about big government. sandy really hurt them there because that was a big government moment if ever there was one. and the third is they could just outspend the president by an incredible margin. when you look at how close the president is to matching their money, even though he lost wall street by something like five to one, that's remarkable. he basically neutralized one of their main campaign strategies by being able to do that. >> and you have to wonder how all the lunatic conservatives spending their millions on this

are going to feel if their guy doesn't end up winning? let's be honest. that wouldn't seem like the best investment. but what do i know? good morning romney is getting ready to hold a campaign rally with his wife ann. here is a look at colorado springs where the republican nominee is expected to speak in just a moment. we'll bring you his remarks live, just ahead. more from democracy plaza right after the break. i was in the ambulance and i was told to call my next of kin. at 33 years old, i was having a heart attack. now i'm on a bayer aspirin regimen. [ male announcer ] be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. i didn't know this could happen so young. take control, talk to your doctor.

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they're real excited today because unemployment didn't go back to 8%. it's 7.9%. they should be ashamed of themselves. the greatest country on earth, the greatest country in the history of the world, and our growth is at 1.2%. he should resign. >> that was rudy giuliani yesterday at a romney rally in westchester, ohio, attacking the president for his economic record and his hand 8ing of the

attack in benghazi. with just three days left in the campaign, welcome to the silliest of the silly season. jonathan, i mean, look, rudy giuliani, it's been a minute since we've been able to play some rudy giuliani on this. but the indignation that he should resign when the economic growth is so bad not taking into consideration the trajectory of the economy since the president took office. >> here's the thing. rudy giuliani is filling the void left by chris christie. we haven't seen rudy giuliani in a long time. that's something you would have heard chris christie say prehurricane sandy. mayor giuliani, it let into that void willingly, happeningly, explodingly. >> i will say this, head explosions aside, there is a lot of indignation and a lot of keyed up romney supporters but the candidate himself is taking the stump in colorado springs right now for a campaign rally with his wife ann. let us take a listen.

>> it makes me believe we can win colorado. it has been quite a journey. it's coming to a close. we have three more days. >> three more days! three more days! three more days! >> i have to tell you, it is quite emotional, i must say, to be in this room. but it's also quite emotional for me to know how humble i feel at this moment, how filled with love i feel for the people of this country, and for the journey that we've been on for this last while across this nation and what we're sensing and how important this moment is. this is our time to turn -- to

turn the country around. and i'm standing next to the man who is going to do that, the next president of the united states. >> well, today we enter the final weekend of the campaign. all right? and i -- you got it right that the obama rallies, they're chanting four more years. you're chanting, three more days. we're going to have to change that chant tomorrow. we'll come up with something, i'm sure. we are so grateful to you and to the people across this country, for all that you've given to the campaign of yourself and your time, your talent, your energy, your money. and this is not just about paul ryan and me. it's really about america and

the future relief our children. we thank you. and we ask you to stay with us all of the way to victory on tuesday night. all right? >> that was governor romney and an emotional ann romney speaking in colorado just now. i want to thank all of my panel here for their time and their expertise and thoughts. we have a wild three days ahead of us, guys. do we have time to talk to them? we do have time to talk to them. >> that's what we were chanting, three more days. >> i will say, it is exhausting running for president. >> it will be more like four or five days because midnight, 4:00 a.m., wednesday morning, we may very well not know. >> it's my election administration election. it is all going to come down to the arcane rules about challengers and provisional balloting and hanging chads and

all that. we may not know on tuesday night. >> you really think that by 10:30, 11:00, we won't be like, okay, write my thing and go to bed by midnight? >> no, sir. you will be hitting refresh on the poll numbers. >> we will be following it closely, especially right here on msnbc, the place for polit s politics. thank you again. this is all for us. i will see you back here at democracy plaza tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. on the last word. and again on monday at noon eastern and 9:00 a.m. pacific when i'm joined by senator barbara boxer, bill burton, professioner, the atlantic and the new rep blix's franklin four. until then, find us at facebook.com/nowwithalex. melissa harris-perry is next with a look at women and the election. that is going to be awesome. stay with us. we saw that last tide commercial

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